Long-time Southwestern supporter Sue Fellers, 83, passes away

On Dec. 11, Sue Fellers, a long-time “loyal and special friend” of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, passed away in Byron, Okla., at the age of 83.

“The Southwestern community mourns the loss of Sue Fellers while offering thanks to God for her life and influence,” President David S. Dockery said. “Mrs. Fellers was a loyal and special friend to Southwestern. She loved the seminary, especially the music program.”

Sue was born on July 18, 1942, to Abb and Lillie Hildreth in Mooreland, Okla. She graduated from Northwestern State College in 1964 with a degree in vocal and piano performance education. She then taught art in music at a public school for three years.

She met her husband Kenneth when they were both students at Northwestern. They started dating in 1962 and married in 1963, moving in 1967 to Kenneth’s childhood farm on land that his grandfather first moved to in 1894. There they raised their family and ran the farm.

She stayed involved in music, teaching piano lessons and serving as the volunteer music director at her church, First Baptist Church of Cherokee, Okla., for more than 45 years, writing more than 35 scripts for Christmas and Easter musical performances.

Sue also had a passion for the Oklahoma Baptist Children’s Home, whose board she served on for several years. She and her husband supported the organization faithfully.

Jack Terry, special assistant to the president for institutional advancement, first met Sue and Kenneth when they were a part of a Bible study he was teaching at their church in Oklahoma. Terry and his wife, Barbara, became good friends with the Fellers, traveling internationally with them numerous times and introducing them to Southwestern in the early 2000s when Terry served as vice president for institutional advancement. Before that, Terry was dean of what was later renamed the Jack D. Terry School of Educational Ministries.

“They fell in love with Southwestern,” Terry said, saying that love for the institution led them to become donors, giving millions of dollars that supported the operations of the Jack D. Terry School of Educational Ministries, endowed the Jack D. and Barbara Terry Chair of Religious Education, and provided numerous scholarships to students over the years. In 2015, Sue and Kenneth were recipients of the B.H. Carroll Award, which recognizes an honoree actively engaged in the life and ministry of the seminary who has given sacrificially to the seminary.

“I have lost a dear, dear musical friend when I lost Sue Fellers,” Terry said, describing how she served her church and others through playing the piano and organ and singing. “She was a wonderful musician.”

“We are grateful to God for the Fellers’ generous investment in the life and work of Southwestern,” Dockery said. “We pray for God’s comfort and peace for the Mr. Fellers and the family at this time and in the days to come.”

She is survived by her husband of 62 years, Kenneth; children, John (Courtney) Fellers of Manhattan, Kan., and Karen (Rodney), of Hoover, Ala.; four grandchildren; and sister Betty Covalt of Colorado Springs, Col.

A funeral service will be held on Friday, Dec. 19, at 10:30 a.m. at Cherokee First Baptist Church.